Man pleads not guilty to alleged theft at Albertsons

A Palm Springs man pleaded not guilty Tuesday to three felony counts related to alleged thefts at a Laguna Beach grocery store.

Jason Richard Paquin, 30, appeared in Orange County Superior Court to face charges that included two counts of second-degree burglary and one count of receiving stolen property, according to the court's website.

A loss-prevention officer saw a man loading merchandise into a grocery cart and approached him at about 1:30 p.m. Sunday at the Albertsons on Coast Highway across from Montage Laguna Beach, Sgt. Louise Callus wrote in an email.

The man, who policed later identified as Paquin, dumped about $600 worth of items from the bags and fled, leading police on a pursuit in his car, according to Callus.

Police located Paquin's car on Laguna Canyon Road near the 405 Freeway entrance.

During a search of his car, police found two trash bags filled with Rogaine, razor blades, Enfamil baby formula, Crest White strips and other presumably stolen items, Callus said.

Paquin, who is unemployed, is being held on $100,000 bail, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Department. He has a pre-trial hearing scheduled at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach.